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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. suit — to fit
  4. bear — the animal
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. bear — the animal
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. game — a match
  12. march — the month
  13. fork — in a road
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. content — the amount
  16. march — the month
  17. march — music
  18. content — happy
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. suit — clothes
  21. suit — in cards
  22. game — wild animals
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. game — a kind of play

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com